Orc
The Orcs '''(or '''Urkh) are one of the most mighty and brutal race that inhabit Sigil Prima. Their decimation of the continent of Orcia has shaped the course of history and defined the surrounding regions for millennia. Nearly three thousand years ago, orcs arrived from the Distant Lands into central Orcia an immediately began their long campaign of war against the Terran. Within in twenty years of their arrival, the Orcs had claimed Orcia for themselves. Due to their nature, however, the Orcs never established a lasting empire. Few have tried, the most notable of these being Temmu Bloodknuckle, who united the seven tribes during the Honor Wars. The Laws of the Daal'ghan are still honored to this day, leading to several short term empires. Introduction Few races invoke dread as the Orcs. Fierce and noble, the Orcs have carved a long and bloody history into the face of Sigil. Often seen as brutish, the Orc possess a stoic resolve and a simple wisdom which have guided them for centuries through many conflicts and long periods of strife. This stoicism can be seen as heartlessness. There is a well-known saying among the terran that "for all their speeches of blood, the Orcs lack the heart to contain it". This sentiment, while well founded throughout history, has cast the Orcs as the perpetual antagonist. The honor of the Orcs has led to countless wars with the various races of Sigil, particularly the Terrans, whom the Orcs hold a unique animosity towards. They have waged wars time and time against their most favored enemy, and has often taken the role of mercenary in other conflicts as an excuse to continue their ongoing rivalry. Recently, the Seven Dominion of the Orcs have united behind a new Daal'ghan, Vradash Spellstorm, who looks to set aside past grievances and usher in a new glorious era of progression for the Orcs. History The Orcs of the Distant Lands Few oral traditions remain regarding the Distant Lands or what led the Terrans and Orcs to leave. The little which is known are called the Lamentations. The Lamentations chronicle the last titanic battle between the orcs and "children of Huum," monstrous creatures alien to the Distant Lands. The Lamentations depict the terrans as violating the very nature of the Distant Lands and summoning the children of Huum, under the pretense of vainglory and hubris. The children proved impossible to control, and before long, the opulent terran empire was in ruins. In their desperation, the terrans torn a hole into reality itself and fled their homeland. However, the rural and simple orcs, lacking the ability to make the journey themselves, were abandoned to the horror of the children of Huum. After centuries of combat, the orcs vanquished the children of Huum, but in doing so, they destroyed much of the Distant Lands. The greatest orc leader, Gruum'ash Dreadsight, recovered the method by which the terrans escaped the Distant Lands, and led the orcs into the unknown. Orc Exodus One thousand years after the Terran Exodus, the first orcs venture forth into Sigil Prima from the Distant Lands. Landing in the northeastern tundra of Thuun'gar, the orcs made their presence to the Terran inhabitants of Orcia quickly and brutally known. The first orcs unified under Gruum'ash Dreadsight with a single objective; the eradication of the cowardly terrans before they repeat the error of summoning the children of Huum once more. Over the next 22 years, the orcs swept, conquered, and razed the outermost Terran settlements of the Empire of Quan Rao. First Vengeance War By 962 BD, the orcs had destroyed several city-kingdoms of the Empire of Quan Rao, beginning the First Vengeance War. The subsequent conflicts over the next thirteen years saw the grip of the Terran occupation whittle away. After Emperor Ying Zheng summoned the Impossible Wall around what little remained of Quan Rao, sealing it off from the rest of Sigil Prima, the orcs completed their conquest of the land. The First Vengeance War ended in an orc victory. Gruum'ash Dreadsight ordered his people to claim the lands they had won for themselves before dismantling the unified horde. The orcs scattered and settled much of eastern Orcia. Beginning of the Honor War 500 years after the end of the Vengeance War, the orcs of Urkh Mhe'daal and the Terran tribes of Aesirheimr finally confront one another at the Honor's End Mountains. "The Honor War" is the name given to hundreds of smaller conflicts between the orcs and the terrans of Doria over thousands of miles of land across a thousand years. Biology The Orcs are a hearty people who, over time, have adapted a wide array of appearances based on their native regions. In Northern Orcia, such as Ruktha'gar and Thuun'gar, the Orc ethnic group known as Moum'urkhs, '''or Stone Orcs, tend to have blond, brown, or red hair with grey-green skin and blue or green eyes. The Orcs of Central Orcia, known as the '''Raah'urkh, or Fury Orc ethnic group, possess black, brown, and red hair with olive-green skin and green or hazel eyes. Due to the harsh nature of the deserts of Southern Orcia, the ethnic Pain Orcs, known as the Khuaah'urkh, have developed black or brown hair with greenish-brown or tan-green skin and brown or hazel eyes. In Western Orcia, the ethnically Tai'urkh, or Great Orcs have developed black and brown hair with black or brown eyes and dusty-green or green-yellow skin. The jungle tribes of Eastern Orcia, known as Tuugaam'urkh, or Black Orcs often possess black, grey, or white hair with brown or hazel eyes and a rich dark-green skin tone. Orc males reach heights between 6' - 6'6", where females are often 5'6" - 6'. They reach maturity at about 16, elderly at about 80, and can live to about 160 years old. An average Orc pregnancy lasts a little over four months (280 days). Though their lifespans and skeletal structure are similar, they are much heartier than Terrans, with denser bones and more robust muscle mass, giving them a larger appearance. Culture Faith The Words of Wisdom is the predominant faith of the orc people. The second most common faith among the orcs is the Primal Laws. The Orcs often look at The Eightfold Faith with great confusion. To the Orc, the Eightfold Faith is an overly complicated version of their oral traditions and religious practices. Such comparison offends many followers of the Eightfold Faith, however a few enterprising priests have used this similarity to convert small pockets of Orcs into the faith. Names When an orc child is born, their first name is a variant of the dominant parent's first name, usually the stronger or higher status of the two parents. Surnames are based off of heroic or daring deed. An orc will share their parent's surname until they establish themselves as a useful member of society, at which point they will be awarded a surname of their own by their clan, faction, or tribe leader. Relations Fey: Orcs do not like the fey. As living embodiments of arcane magic, the fey are too specialized, too peculiar. The fey dependency on magic is off-putting to the natural and martially inclined orcs. Orcs value diversity, feys are too homogeneous. All elves are the same, all dwarves are the same, all centaur are the same, all gnomes, sprites, satyrs, hags, trolls, and rakshasa are exactly like every other one they have ever met. This view, however, is ironic, because most races view orcs are being rather homogeneous themselves. Terrans: Terrans hold a unique place in the mind of the Orc. They are the only race on Sigil Prima that the Orcs see as true equals. Despite their aloof demeanor and overly complicated culture, the Orcs sense a commonality with the Terrans. The Terrans have proven time and again to be just as capable, versatile, and robust as the Orcs themselves. This makes them the ultimate enemy in the eyes of the Orcs. = Category:Races Category:Humanoids